1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of air conditioners, and more specifically to a vessel containing ice or other frozen material placed in thermal communication with an air duct containing two battery-operated fans, the thermal communication preferably being accomplished through a wall, common to the vessel and the duct, having longitudinal heat fins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been air conditioners for homes, businesses and automobiles which rely on a complex process of compressing a gas such as freon and then permitting it to expand within a heat exchanger to extract heat from the air. The apparatus forming this type of air conditioner is cumbersome and expensive, and requires a substantial energy input during operation. This sort of apparatus is ill-suited to structures not wired for high voltage electric power supply. Such structures include camping tents, certain maintenance stations within factories, and automobiles not equipped with conventional air conditioning. These devices are also too heavy and bulky to be readily portable.
The best that can be done at present to provide comfort in such structures during hot weather is to bring a battery-operated fan. While the fan-induced circulation of air over the human body evaporates perspiration and thereby cools to some extent, it is only minimally effective where the air temperature is very high.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning device which is sufficiently compact and light-weight to be carried easily to a location where needed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a device which is simple and reliable in construction.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a device which can be operated by batteries such as commercially available lantern batteries or automobile batteries.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a device which is inexpensive to purchase and to use.